Hello all, new poster on this forum.
I see a lot of talk about weight ratings but still not sure how to use them...
I have a 02 Dodge Durango, 5.9L engine, 3.92 gear ratio, tow package on it(checked the VIN with a dealer), the dealer says around 8K towing capacity.
3600/3850 GAWR, 6400 GVWR.
The trailer dealer assured me my Durango would not have a problem towing.
I have a 2012 Dutchman 28ft BH that weighs 4900lbs dry. 660lb tongue.
I figure 1k lbs for passengers and stuff, and 1k lbs for gear in the trailer, brings me up to around 6k for the trailer, which should be under the capacity for my TV, but how can I tell if my TV is overloaded?
I'm new to travel trailers, had a small pop-up which felt like nothing behind me.
The best method for me is to go to a scale such as those at truck stops. Even somebody with a similar rig may find their actual numbers are much different than yours.
2011 Chevy 2500HD CC/SB 4x4 Victory Red
2003 Crossroads Cruiser CF27RL
Champion Screamer, Reese 16k, and a Blue Status Symbol
Agree, stop guessing or listening to others who guess. Next time you're loaded up, take it to a scale and get some hard numbers. If you are under your GVWR and axle ratings for both the trailer and trucks, that's a good start.
* This post was
edited 05/08/12 11:26am by Gman22 *
2000 Coleman Bayside
2006 Ford Expedition Ltd. 5.4 L/3.73
I have had three Durangos; loved them all. I see a lot of 2nd GEN D's towing, but not a lot of 1st GENs. I think the 5.9 with 3.92s will be ok, but you have other issues. Not show stoppers, but you need to know. The 1st and 3rd GEN D's are a narrower truck than the 2nd and the 5.9 is not a beast. At 28ft and 6-7K, the TT will sway around in the wind a bit with your short, narrow wheelbase D. I would just load her up and see how you like it. You will need WD with sway control, for sure. And I wouldn't get in a huge hurry with it. For weekend trips, you are not overloaded (I wouldn't think) but you do have a substantial camper for the D. Being in UT, you will have fun pulling it up the mountains and coming back down. (a little sarcasm, sorry) If I remember right, the brakes on the 1st GEN are not as stout as the 2nd and 3rd GENs. Something to remember. Just make sure your brake controller is set right and you should be OK. My 2 cents worth.....hope it helps.
WW
2012 Montana High Country 333DB
*NEW* 2012 Dodge 3500MEGA 6.7 CTD, 2012 Jeep JK Rubicon, 2012 Durango Citadel, 2010 Harley Heritage Softail....American STEEL = American profits.
"I figure 1k lbs for passengers and stuff, and 1k lbs for gear in the trailer, brings me up to around 6k for the trailer,"
Me thinks you will be over on payload. 1000lbs in the durango and with a TT weighing 6000lbs, you'll have a tongue weight between 600-900lbs. So lets pick the middle at 750lbs, add the two together and you have 1750lbs added to the durango. Whats the yellow door sticker say for cargo rating?
Maximum trailer weight ratings are for warranty purposes. If you have no factory warranty then you actually HAVE no max trailer weight to be concerned with other than what YOU are willing to pay for if something breaks. It's usually a good idea to take what the manufacturer recommends as a limit for this so YOU don't have to pay too much for repairs.
Safety related numbers are the ones most often exceeded and that is your GVWR and GAWR. Exceeding those numbers can put you and your passengers in danger and also be a risk to anyone else on the road. I would recommend a trip to the scales to see how your rig fits under these safety related numbers. It's really the ONLY way to know for certain. Remember there is NO brochure or tag on the trailer that can accurately predict your loaded tongue weight, only the scales can do that. No way for anyone else to know how or how much you load into your trailer.
Good luck / Skip
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR - 2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles) 2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
Simple: What's the GCWR on the door sticker? Start there. Run your truck across the scale at a truck stop and subtract the weight of the truck from the GCWR. That'll tell you the maximum amount of trailer, passengers, and gear you can haul.
As others have stated -- the only way to know if you are exceeding the TV's capacity is to load the TV and TT as they would be loaded and head for a scale.
If you are willing to settle for guesstimating --
Assuming the loaded TT weighs 6000# and you add 1000# of extras to the TV, the total of 7000# should keep you under the TV's GCWR.
A 6000# TT should have a tongue weight around 800#, so the TV's receiver would need a TW rating of at least 800#.
An 800# TW with a properly adjusted WDH would cause a trailer-induced vertical load of about 600#.
Assuming a payload capacity of 1600#, the 600# trailer-induced load plus the 1000# of extras in the TV would put you at 100% of GVWR.
IMO, this alone requires a trip to the scales for verification.
While you're at the scales, the loaded TV rear axle weight will tell you how close you are to the TV's rear GAWR.
I figure 1k lbs for passengers and stuff, and 1k lbs for gear in the trailer
As recommended, take it to a scale and weigh it!
It should be loaded and ready to go camping when you do that, and do remember your water when "guesstimating"- your 52 gallon fresh tank weighs 400 pounds m/l when full, and your waste tanks will hold another eighty gallons, or 600+ pounds.
That's your thousand pound "trailer cargo" allowance right there!
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies toJ.R.R. Tolkien
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